Bank Holiday Week 34 / CL Semis

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Peps sick though tbf. Some people will say he has finally snapped but his response was good.Basically the opposite response to what Mourinho wanted. Slyly boying him aswell, 'Off the pitch he has won, as he has done all year'.

[Yoshie]

IMO the swearing was stupid, could've come back with a clever response but now people will just read the swearing and believe he's fell victim to Mourinhos mind games.

[anelka]

Carrick was brilliant again last nightEngland missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

[Student of Accounting]

LOL @ Pep admitting Mourinho is king of mindgames.

LOL @ Not seeing thats a mind game in itself.

[TF S4DK]

England missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

That would mean Bent in #9 and what for Gerrard & Lampard?

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

IMO the swearing was stupid, could've come back with a clever response but now people will just read the swearing and believe he's fell victim to Mourinhos mind games.

Yeah true it does look like that. Maybe it is in fact the case, but I reckon Guardiola is smarter than that. IMO I dont reckon Pep gives two shits about what Mourinho says. I dont think I would if I was in his position. So allowing Mourinho to think he has got under his skin may be a double bluff? We'll see anyway. all depends on the score now to see if it worked or not.Want to play Real in the final. I think wed have a better chance, plus I would love to beat Ronaldo in the final (in the desperate hope he will wish he never left us and comes back )

[Seydou]

I actually wanna see Anelka's England line up. Post it up w/ reasons for the choices.

[anelka]

England missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

That would mean Bent in #9 and what for Gerrard & Lampard?

Bent is a willing runner like Hernandez and hes better with his back to goal than Hernandez and hes a goal threat just like HernandezCarrick's game is suited to the international style of play-------Carrick------Lampard/Gerrard-----------Lennon-----------------------------------Young--------------------Rooney-----------------------------------------Bent--------------------------or-------CM----------Carrick----------CM------Lennon-----------------------------------Rooney-----------------------Bent--------------------------Either way he should build the midfield around Carrick

[Yoshie]

IMO the swearing was stupid, could've come back with a clever response but now people will just read the swearing and believe he's fell victim to Mourinhos mind games.

Yeah true it does look like that. Maybe it is in fact the case, but I reckon Guardiola is smarter than that. IMO I dont reckon Pep gives two shits about what Mourinho says. I dont think I would if I was in his position. So allowing Mourinho to think he has got under his skin may be a double bluff? We'll see anyway. all depends on the score now to see if it worked or not.Want to play Real in the final. I think wed have a better chance, plus I would love to beat Ronaldo in the final (in the desperate hope he will wish he never left us and comes back )

CS on a Real-Utd final, will be emotional. Plus the chance of Barca taking it from us twice will be depressing.

[Flojo]

Certain managers have the stigma of 'master of mind games' attached no matter how it works out, Pep knows he isn't one of them.

[Agony]

Carrick was brilliant again last nightEngland missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

Good theory but England doesn't have Hernandez so it won't work

[Guest M12 Part 2]

and tbf. Rooney, Giggs and Valencia all played better than Carrick yesterday.

[The King]

Not Valencia imo. But thats not to say he had a bad game.

[Guest M12 Part 2]

valencia duppied his man almost every time and his deliveries were quality

[The King]

See, I think since hes come back the one thing that is not the same yet is his crossing. & he didnt duppy his man ever time. He came backwards most of the first half. Wasnt until Escudero lost 1 sprint to him, did he then consistently do him. But the way he keeps possession really helps the team (esp. Fabio).IMO, he just needs games.

[Frank.]

England missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

That would mean Bent in #9 and what for Gerrard & Lampard?

Bent is a willing runner like Hernandez and hes better with his back to goal than Hernandez and hes a goal threat just like HernandezCarrick's game is suited to the international style of play-------Carrick------Lampard/Gerrard-----------Lennon-----------------------------------Young--------------------Rooney-----------------------------------------Bent--------------------------or-------CM----------Carrick----------CM------Lennon-----------------------------------Rooney-----------------------Bent--------------------------Either way he should build the midfield around Carrick

[King Poetic]

England missed a big trick there, Utd aint conceded away this season, Carrick has only missed one champions league game i think..Capello must copy the utd way of playing with Carrick in the deep-lying position and Rooney in the #10 positionIts not just his passing, brilliant distribution or his one-two touch play but his positioning and interceptions, such an underrated player

That would mean Bent in #9 and what for Gerrard & Lampard?

Bent is a willing runner like Hernandez and hes better with his back to goal than Hernandez and hes a goal threat just like HernandezCarrick's game is suited to the international style of play-------Carrick------Lampard/Gerrard-----------Lennon-----------------------------------Young--------------------Rooney-----------------------------------------Bent--------------------------or-------CM----------Carrick----------CM------Lennon-----------------------------------Rooney-----------------------Bent--------------------------Either way he should build the midfield around Carrick

Wilshere will play that role better IMO. Like Schweinsteiger did with Gernany last summer.Something like this should suffice. Still not convinced about Carrick. Back 5 Wilshere-ParkerA.Johnson-Gerrard-Rooney Carroll/Bent

[Heero Yuy]

whether you rate him or not lol @ thinking Wilshere is getting dropped in the next 10 years for anyone

[Guest Portuguese]

I am rubbish at predicting games no wonder William Hill stays winning.Props to Manchester United for exposing Schalke and making them look average.Is SAF really going to keep Carrick/Giggs as pairing against Real or Barca!El Clasico IV(should of been the final)CDR result but in normal time please

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

See, I think since hes come back the one thing that is not the same yet is his crossing. & he didnt duppy his man ever time. He came backwards most of the first half. Wasnt until Escudero lost 1 sprint to him, did he then consistently do him. But the way he keeps possession really helps the team (esp. Fabio).IMO, he just needs games.

Trust me. No way was Valencia better yesterday. He did alot of good running with the ball and did skin his man on quite a few occasions, but LOL @ Quality deliveries. Had many an opportunity to put a good ball in and didnt. Played one DISGUSTING ball to Chicharito first half tbf though.Current Valencia is playing like the Valencia of the first half of last season. It'll come though...

[Guest Portuguese]

Peps sick though tbf. Some people will say he has finally snapped but his response was good.Basically the opposite response to what Mourinho wanted. Slyly boying him aswell, 'Off the pitch he has won, as he has done all year'.

[Carlos Slim Helu]

Barca will win comfortably, possibly by 3 or 4 goals.Madrid may get a consolation goal.

[Drift]

ade is one of the mandem.

[Colin Turnover]

Xavi TEK!

[Natty]

english stream?/line ups? is pepe in midfield again?